Trevally

General

Location

They are both pelagic and demersal in behaviour. Juveniles are found in shallow inshore areas, and from around one year old, the growing fish enter the demersal phase. As adults, they move from the demersal to the pelagic and school at all levels. They grow rapidly, reaching maturity after about five years and can live to 45 years. They feed on krill and other plankton in closely packed surface schools.

Attributes

Blue-green on the top and silvery white on the belly, with a yellowish sheen running along the length of the fish. A small dark blotch often appears on the upper gill cover. The body is deep and laterally compressed with a bluntly rounded head and sickleshaped pectoral fin. Large fish often develop a hump on the head caused by the enlargement of the bony skull crest. The species has small scales and a row of strong scutes at the tail base. Juveniles often have vertical bands of green and gold, which are sometimes also visible on freshly-caught adults.

Family

Trevally belong to the Carangidae family (trevallies, kingfishes).

Sustainability

Trevally has been caught commercially in New Zealand since at least the early 1900s and is managed under the Quota Management System (QMS). Commercial catch records are available as far back as 1931. Stocks declined off the west coast of the North Island in the 1960s and 1970s, but spawning biomass appears to have remained fairly stable since the 1980s.

Fishing methods

The species is common around many parts of the North Island and the top half of the South Island. They are most abundant at depths of about 80 metres and are caught throughout the year.

Nutrition

To quality for a 'good source' claim the food must contain at least 25% of the RDI.
The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) is considered to be the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98 per cent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.

To quality for a 'source' claim the food must contain at least 10% of the RDI.
The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) is considered to be the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98 per cent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.

Iron is necessary for the transport oxygen, for normal immune system function and for normal neurological development in the foetus, and it contributes to energy production and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue